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Wild and Crazy Guy, Steve Martin, to Receive AFI’s 2015 Life Achievement Award

It’s an honor bestowed upon only the best and brightest in American cinema, and now some banjo-playing folk singer will be added to the mix. Some rand named Steve Martin — ever heard of him? — is set to receive the 43rd iteration of the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award for 2015.

Kidding! C’mon y’all it’s Steve FRAKKIN’ Martin fer crissakes, of course we know all about him and his endless list of impressive doings. The multi-hyphenate extraordinaire — he is at once an actor, comedian, author, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist musician — will receive the honor on June 4th, with a special honoring him to air later in the month on TNT.

“Steve Martin is an American original,” explained Sir Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. “From a wild and crazy stand-up comic to one who stands tall among the great figures in this American art form, he is a multi-layered creative force bound by neither convention nor caution. His work is defined by him alone, for he is the author – and a national treasure whose work has stuck with us like an arrow in the head. AFI is proud to present him with its 43rd Life Achievement Award.”

To which we say: about freaking time! Martin has long been a comedy icon, and his varied but no less impressive career is littered with a veritable smorgasbord of characters, films, and guaranteed to land on many a “Best Of” list.

Like his classic comedy tune, “King Tut.”

…Or that time he dueled banjos with Kermit the Frog (hi-ho)!

And there were plenty of times he was hilarious on Carson:

Because he was one WIIIIIILD AND CA-RAZY GUY!

And, well? Martin is in some seriously good company.

1973 John Ford
1974 James Cagney
1975 Orson Welles
1976 William Wyler
1977 Bette Davis
1978 Henry Fonda
1979 Alfred Hitchcock
1980 James Stewart
1981 Fred Astaire
1982 Frank Capra
1983 John Huston
1984 Lillian Gish
1985 Gene Kelly
1986 Billy Wilder
1987 Barbara Stanwyck
1988 Jack Lemmon
1989 Gregory Peck
1990 David Lean
1991 Kirk Douglas
1992 Sidney Poitier
1993 Elizabeth Taylor
1994 Jack Nicholson
1995 Steven Spielberg
1996 Clint Eastwood
1997 Martin Scorsese
1998 Robert Wise
1999 Dustin Hoffman
2000 Harrison Ford
2001 Barbra Streisand
2002 Tom Hanks
2003 Robert De Niro
2004 Meryl Streep
2005 George Lucas
2006 Sean Connery
2007 Al Pacino
2008 Warren Beatty
2009 Michael Douglas
2010 Mike Nichols
2011 Morgan Freeman
2012 Shirley MacLaine
2013 Mel Brooks
2014 Jane Fonda

The actor even took the time out of his very busy schedule to tweet about the honor on Friday evening:

What’s your favorite Steve Martin moment? Let us hear ’em in the comments.

 

Image: Sony Pictures

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